Apprentice 2015 - 2

Contents

Fallout: Motown

Intro

Fallout: Motown begins with a black screen and fade-in credits amidst the sound of a muffled truck engine. Shortly after, a man identified by subtitles as, "Road Raider" begins speaking to a woman identified by subtitles as, "53 Raider". During their discussion, a view of the speakers from behind a mesh barrier through a window into the cabin of a truck fades in. At the discussion's end, the camera pans to the back, revealing several chained prisoners, a super mutant, a ghoul, and a human adult, in an empty truck trailer. The camera focuses on the human adult and character creation begins.

Raiders' conversation

“We got ourselves quite a haul today. - Road RaiderNo shit. It's not everyday we get this kind of diversity. - 53 RaiderI can't even remember the last time our boys captured a super mutant. - Road RaiderI remember we weren't in any shape to take any prisoners with it. - 53 RaiderYeah right? What do you think we'll get for the ghoul? - Road RaiderDepends on the buyer. Márquez likes his soldiers seasoned. - 53 RaiderHow can we even tell how old a ghoul is anyway? I wouldn't want to give a guy like Márquez some fresh RAD sipper. - Road RaiderThere's a way, there's always a way. Vault 53 taught me that. - 53 RaiderYeah whatever, ghoul's got low upkeep, so we're bound to break even at least. - Road RaiderMore than we can say about the normal back there, always a gamble with them ever since The Pitt dropped off the market. - 53 RaiderWhatever happened to that shit-stain of a city anyway? - Road RaiderFuck if I know, fuck if I care. So long as whatever happened doesn't happen to Motown. - 53 RaiderAmen sister. - Road RaiderWhat? Amen?? Don't tell me those Abbey people have gotten to you. - 53 RaiderFuck no, it's just an expression. Check on the scabs will ya? I'd bet they're getting restless. - Road RaiderHow y'all doing back there? Cozy I hope. Get used to it, it's gonna be like this for a loooong time... maybe shorter for you, normal. - 53 Raider”

Character creation

For the first time in the Fallout series, the player gets to choose between presets called "Mutation states" which effectively allows players to make a ghoul, super mutant, and human character along with the choice between male and female sexes and African American, Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic races, only with the human and ghoul states, present throughout earlier titles. Each mutation state gets its own SPECIAL characteristics, dialogue options, reputation bonuses, clothing and armor selection, and mutation state bonuses.

Human: Status effects added by Hardcore mode proceed at normal rates and have unhindered penalties. Speech and skill challenges with other humans are easier and discounts are higher with other humans than with other mutation states. RADs have deleterious side effects that lower total health, passive healing, and SPECIAL attributes. Chems and medicines have unhindered potency. Medical treatments, such as the removal of RADs or addictions, and surgeries have unaffected prices. Carry weight, melee/unarmed damage, passive healing, total health, and weapon strength requirements are unaffected.

Ghoul: Status effects added by Hardcore mode proceed at greatly reduced rates and have hindered penalties but a side effect called, "Ferality" comes into play. Ferality is the measure of a ghoul's progression into the feral mutation state, with the final one being irreversible and requiring the player to load a previous save, it increases with addictive chem use, RADs, and high hardcore mode status effects. Present addictions increase the rate ferality is accumulated. Speech and skill challenges are easier and discounts are higher with other ghouls than with other mutation states but are negatively impacted by ferality across all mutation states. RADs have positive side effects that increase total health, passive healing, and ferality. Chems and medicines have hindered potency. Medical treatments cost more but surgeries cost less. Carry weight, melee/unarmed damage, passive healing, and total health are reduced. Weapon strength requirements are increased.

Super Mutants: Status effects added by Hardcore mode proceed at greatly increased rates and have higher penalties. Speech and skill challenges are easier and discounts are higher with other super mutants than with other mutation states. RADs have no side effects. Chems and medicines have greatly hindered potency and addictions are impossible to develop. Medical treatments cannot be bought and surgeries cost less. Carry weight, melee/unarmed damage, passive healing, and total health are greatly increased. Weapon strength requirements are eliminated.

Tutorial

After character creation, the player assumes control of the character he/she has created and begins by looking around using the mouse or joystick at the other character presets the player did not choose as they beckon for the player's attention. After getting the player's attention, the character presets explain how you can use a bobby pin and a stray screwdriver to unlock your chains, and that if you fail, you can force the lock on your chains. Forcing the lock carries a chance of failure but always succeeds during the tutorial.

After the player frees his/her character, the other character presets explain how sneaking works and advises the player to sneak up on the grated window and begin unscrewing it.

After succeeding, the player then stabs the driver of the truck in the eye with the screwdriver, grabs the passenger's arm now brandishing a 10mm pistol, secures the pistol as the truck careens out of control, and aims it at the passenger in a struggle after she recovers. It is here the shooting mechanics are introduced and concludes with the player character shooting the passenger in the head and securing the driver's seat.

Once in the driver's seat, the player is instructed on how to drive and is instructed by the other character presets to ram the escort vehicles for the truck off the road and into submission. The driving tutorial lasts until the scripted event of a vertibird flying over fires a rocket at the truck and flipping it over. The screen goes black and a narration by Ron Perlman begins.

Ron Perlman's speech

“War. War never changes.
Since the Neolithic Revolution mankind has prospered and thrived off of the very soil it tread upon. Appetites were sated, minds were free to think, and idle hands found purpose. Mankind's ambition did not taper, however, it found ever increasing ways to use the world to its ends, draining it of every resource it could offer. Eventually, mankind's demand outpaced its adaptations, and in the year 2077, mankind could no longer sustain its ambition-turned-greed and ended the world as they knew it. But the world itself carried on, its soil turned to sand. Its sand turned to glass. And, as always, humanity survived... its ambition... unchanged. The year is 2294. You are a prisoner, one of the many to be chained and transported on The Road for the sake of Motown. Motown, a city where industry still hums and where business still operates. A city that runs much as it used to, greedily and without concern. A city, perpetuated and changed by War... but War... War never changes.”— Ron Perlman

Aftermath

As the speech concludes, the player character henceforth dubbed as, "The Prisoner", comes to from the crash and scavenges the Pip-Boy the passenger was wearing as well as 10mm pistol ammo. The player then has the choice of scavenging whatever they please from the corpses of the raiders as well as the now deceased character presets that were not chosen and then emerge from the wreckage of the truck through its back.

Blinded by the light, an orchestra plays and the city of Motown comes into view. A vertibird can be seen flying off in the distance toward billowing smoke and steam amidst a city that looks very much alive.